He noted that the production of the Philippine Mango has plummeted from over 1.5-million metric tons in previous years to only a little over 800,000-metric tons last year.

Based on the data of Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), the decrease in the production of mango from 2006 to 2016 was noted. From 5.35 metric tons per hectare yield in 2006, mango production dropped to 4.33 metric tons per hectare yield in 2016.

There is also a slight increase in the number of hectares planted to mango in the country on the same period – from 171,710 hectares in 2006 to 187,839 hectares in 2016.

He stressed that while price of mango is fluctuating, improved productivity and increased in yield could still boost farmers income.

“I want to address this problem because we have taken for granted the God-given gift which is the Philippine mango,” Piñol said adding that, through the forum he will personally know what support Department of Agriculture (DA) can provide to the mango industry and its stakeholders.

In an interview, Piñol stressed, “You talk to anybody and they will tell you that the best mango in the world is the Philippine mango.”

The secretary also proposed to identify a farm in every province which would serve as a learning center for modern farming techniques in mango production.

The forum aims to craft a five-year roadmap for the Philippine Mango Development that will quickly address the needs of the industry and make the growth more inclusive for small farmers to benefit.

It was organized by DA-High Value Crops Development Program XI (DA-HVCDP) in cooperation with Philippine Mango Industry Foundation Inc.